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THERE'S AN OLD apartment complex at the end of the town. It's nestled between two obviously more modern buildings, its ivy-covered brick a clear contrast to the siding of the more newer buildings. The building's been there for years - far longer than anyone who's lived in the town. There's scorch marks decorating the spots where the ivy parts, evidence that it may have survived a fire or two.
To any tourist in the town, the building might appear to be abandoned. The front lot is unkempt, weeds growing in the cracks between the concrete. The front steps have eroded a bit, corners crumbling. The ages-old ivy has climbed to nearly the top of the building, only parting when it's in the way of windows or doors. It looks thoroughly forgotten about.
However, to anyone who's ever set foot in the building, you could tell the place was still teeming with life. Fresh flowers are planted every spring, growing in almost every window box. The walkway is brushed off of dirt each morning. The windows are always clean and in shape.
Maybe the most important part is the people who live there. The building is home to few residents (mostly because the sight of the building deters the usually vistors). Still, many different characters have made themselves home there. Besides, the rent's cheap enough. While many may enter the building just to catch a glimpse of the strange inhabitants, most will leave, scared of what they have found. But if you stay long enough, you may just find yourself in the company of such whimsical characters.
Maybe, you'll end up calling the place home.
_____________
IZUKU MIDORIYA DID not expect Tomura Shigaraki's home to look so… rundown . Of course, upon standing on the steps and examining the building for himself, he can see how the male would've found a home here.
Tilting his head, he looks up at the shabby building, a hint of a smile coming to his face. 'Yeah, looks like Tomura, alright.'
To his right, his girlfriend hums. "This is the place, hmm?"
"Yeah, seems to be it," Izuku replies, still amazed at the sight of the building before them. "I'll have to admit, this wasn't quite what I was expecting."
He hadn't seen Tomura in quite some time. The older male - his brother-figure even? - hadn't stopped by his hometown in quite some time. The first thing he did after graduating was move out into the world on his own. His adoptive father, Kurogiri, had been sad to see him go, but everyone knew there was no stopping Tomura Shigaraki from doing what he wanted.
After moving out, Tomura had cut contact with everyone for quite some time. It wasn't too big of a difference. The man was practically a hermit. The only person he really ever checked up with was his father-figure. Still, Izuku had not seen the male in nearly three years.
To his surprise, it was Tomura who had made the first move in contacting him. He'd private messaged Izuku from an old Instagram account, asking how he was doing. While Izuku rambled, Tomura left little details about himself. At the end of it all, Tomura had asked if Izuku had wanted to drop by for a visit - girlfriend included. There was much to catch up on.
"I think it's charming." His girlfriend's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. Ochako had always been fond of old buildings, dragging him and his mother to view the fabulous architecture on their family vacations. "Should we go in? He's probably waiting for us."
"Oh! Right!" He quickly straightens his jacket before pulling open the front door. The two of them head inside, and they're greeted by a much different view than the outside.
The lobby of the building is small, but it's cozy. There's antique furniture creating a comfortable living space. House plants are scattered around here and there. The golden rays of sunlight filter in quite nicely through the windows. However, what really catches Izuku's eyes is the piano in the corner of the room.
Sunlight reflects off the smooth surface of the instrument. The piano looks old - very old - but it appears to be in excellent shape. Well there are some knicks on the bench here and there, it seems well-loved and well-cared for. Izuku's fingers twitch with the urge to play it.
The floorboards creak, and Izuku whips his head around to see a familiar face leaning against one of the building walls. Their lips twitch upwards in amusement - never a full smile. Those were reserved for only the closest of companions.
Years have passed, but Izuku will never forget Tomura's face. He's taller now. His once awkward and gangly limbs have been grown into. He looks healthier, more muscle having been gained, cheeks slightly tinged with a red blush. It's nice to see the color's finally returned to his pale face. The scars are still there, yet now, they look less irradiated. His hair's lost the blueish tint, now a full snow-colored white. Even with all these changes, he's still the same Tomura.
"It's nice to see you again, Izuku," Tomura says quietly, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I was beginning to wonder if you got lost."
"In my defense, your directions were quite vague," Izuku retorts with a sheepish smile. "Besides, this building's address isn't even on Google Maps - I had to look for the street name."
Tomura's lips press together, and it looks like he's suppressing a smile. "Perhaps there's a reason for that… Uraraka, it's very nice to see you again as well."
The brown-haired girl smiles warmly, nodding in acknowledgment. "You too. It's been quite some time since we've seen each other, hasn't it?"
Pushing himself off of the wall, Tomura begins to recede further back into the building. He waves a hand to follow. "Come on, now. I'm sure you'll want a place to sit." He pauses, turning his head slightly to look Izuku in the eyes. "I wouldn't touch that piano if I were you - landlord gets quite pissy about other people touching his things… Alright, come on now."
Izuku takes one last look at the piano before following after Tomura. Ochako intertwines their hands as they walk to the door of Tomura's living quarters. The lettering is fading on Tomura's door, the 1-B looking a lot more like a 1-P.
Tomura pulls out a keyring filled with dozens of keys. It makes Izuku furrow his eyebrows. 'Why does he need that many?' The white-haired male makes an 'aha' sound upon discovering the right one - an older looking brass key with an intricate handle - preceding to jam it into the lock. The door unlocks, creaking on it's hinges as Tomura pulls the door open. "...Welcome. Make yourselves comfortable."
The first thing Izuku notices upon entering Tomura's apartment is the abundance of plants littering the place. He thought there were a lot in the lobby, but Tomura's apartment is looking more greenhouse than living quarters. Plants as far as the eye could see, absolutely covering his kitchen table, stacked on top of cupboards, hidden in bookshelves. There's so much… green.
Secondly, Tomura has a lot of books. Like, an unreasonable amount of books. Growing up, the two had been rather huge book nerds, but this took the cake over any collection either of them had back then. They're piled in stacks around the room, precariously leaning to one side or the other. They look rather old, and Izuku doesn't know if he recognizes the writing on a few of them.
Other than that, Tomura's apartment looks quite lived in. There's clean dishes drying in a rack next to the sink. Old family photos are hung up on the wall. Shoes are placed neatly by the door. Izuku's heart swells with pride. Not even back at the apartment that Tomura shared with Kurogiri did it feel as Tomura as this. He's glad the boy can call this place home.
As if he were a cat, Tomura slinks down into a rather comfortable looking armchair, perching with his legs against the arm of it. He carefully grabs a mug hidden among some plants on the coffee table, taking a sip of his tea.
Ochako grabs his wrist and they cautiously maneuvering their way to the leather couch beside Tomura, relaxing into it. Before Izuku can even open his mouth, Tomura's already asking a question. He's got that devilish look in his eye - one that makes Izuku swallow nervously.
Tomura nonchalantly takes a sip of his tea before clearing his throat. "So, Uraraka… has Izuku popped the question yet?"
This was not how Izuku had expected his visit to go. He goes red-faced, immediately waving his hands back and forth. He would have to talk to Tomura about this later.
His girlfriend just laughs, throwing her head back. Stray hairs are bouncing out of her loose ponytail. "No, I can't say that he has!"
"Just how old do you think we are?!" Izuku cries out, voice cracking. He tries to sound serious but Ochako cackling in the background isn't helping his cause.
Licking his lip, his brother-figure's face scrunches up in confusion. "I don't know… twenty-four maybe? Twenty-five?"
"We're twenty !" Izuku corrects which only causes Ochako to laugh harder. "For goodness' sake, you're not even married yet, and you think I'd be? I'm not even that much younger than you."
Tomura hums, nursing his mug of tea. "Guess I've just lost track of time, haven't I? Besides, it's not my fault you're so damn short. "
They fall into a comfortable silence, Ochako's laughter dying off. Izuku can't say this is how he imagined reuniting with Tomura would go. He fidgets with his hand, leg beginning to bounce. There's just so much to say to him, so much to ask. Tomura's been gone for three years, after all. What should he even say?
"Where have you been off to all this time?" Izuku asks. "I don't hear from you in three years and now you've suddenly got your own apartment-" and a shit ton of plants and books "-and you've built a whole life for yourself."
The white-haired male purses his lips. "Traveling."
" Traveling? Traveling. That's all you've got to say?" Izuku remarks incredulously. "I don't think traveling accounts for three whole years of time lost."
"In my defense, it was quite a lot of traveling," Tomura murmurs quietly, standing up and bringing his now empty tea mug to the sink.
Izuku sighs. This conversation is obviously not going anywhere. It's best to just drop it. If Tomura doesn't want to talk about it, there's no use trying to get anything out of him.
"How about you?" Tomura returns to his chair, quickly redirecting the conversation. "What's the brilliant Izuku Midoriya been up to?"
"Well, I'm attending UA now," he proudly announces. "I have been - actually, the both of us-" he gestures to Ochako "-have been for two years now. Professor Yagi's taken me under his wing. You remember him, don't you Tomura?"
"How could I forget?" Tomura drawls dryly.
"Anyways, I'm studying music under him. He's a brilliant teacher, and I hope I can be as great as him one day! He really thinks I could become the number one pianist - well, that is if Todoroki's son doesn't get in the way."
Tomura narrows his eyes. "That piece of shit's still alive?" Izuku cries out at his language but Ochako murmurs something along the lines of how Tomura is right. "Can't believe he's got yet another son playing for him."
"Another? Natsuo never played piano."
Tomura pauses, eyes widening in the slightest. "Ah, I must've made a mistake then… still, if I ever see that man in public-"
He heads into the kitchen once again, grabbing them cups of water. While he's up, Izuku takes this as a chance to examine one of the books placed on the coffee table. It's rather old - the cover's not paperback either but bound with rubbery leather.
Ochako leans in closer to him. "Those are some neat books, huh? Wonder why he's got so many of them."
Izuku reaches for the book, hands hovering over the cover when Tomura stops his, snatching his wrist. Izuku looks up in fear but Tomura only places his hand back in his lap. He returns to his seat, waving off the tension in the room with a hand.
"Those old things?" He scoffs. "They're nothing special, really… They probably wouldn't interest you."
He can't help that he has a curious mind - always questioning, always thinking. "Are you sure? They look like antiques. What kind of-"
"Erotica," Tomura deadpans.
Izuku immediately backs away from the books, face paling. "I, uh, didn't know you were into that… heh." Ochako looks beet-red from how hard she's trying to hold back her laugh.
"I told you you wouldn't like them."
The couple stays until the sun starts to set. The pink-orange hues are beginning to filter in through the blinds, casting a heavenly light onto the furniture. They stand up, saying their goodbyes to each other.
Tomura reluctantly lets Izuku give him a hug. The younger male squeezes his body tightly, burying his face in the man's shoulder. Tomura still smells like himself - earth and bourbon, a scent he'd picked up after living with Kurogiri for so long. But there's a hint of something else there… burnt wood, maybe? He can't exactly place it.
"Don't be a stranger, alright?" Izuru tells him, pulling back from the hug. "Mom misses you and is going to want to see you… and I know I do, too."
He ruffles Izuku's unruly green locks affectionately. "Alright, kid. Take care."
The couple leaves his apartment, meandering into the lobby. They'll have to check the train schedule again, and it's going to be a long walk to the station. It's going to be a long way home.
On their way out, however, they spot a man emerging from one of the maintenance rooms. He's wearing a long black cloak and muddy boots. The mud's still fresh evidently as it begins to leave footprints across the floor. The man's hair is black and spiky, contrasting with his bright blue eyes. He pays no mind to the two, instead, muttering to himself as he heads down the hall.
What surprises them most are the burn scars decorating his body. Izuku's never seen scars as bad as that. They've progressed past the red-colored stage now well into purple. They litter his body, dead skin stretching painfully. Gleaming staples are what hold his skin together. It looks dreadfully painful.
As they exit the building, Ochako turns to look at him. "Who might that have been? Those scars look pretty bad."
"I think that's Tomura's landlord." Izuku casts a glimpse back at the building. "I've never seen burn scars as bad as that. And there's so many of them too! I doubt that he's comfortable."
"I wonder how he got them," Ochako muses, putting a finger to her chin. "Cooking accident, maybe?"
"I'm thinking more along the lines of him being a firefighter."
Ochako's lips form a small 'o'. "Still, don't they normally have protection for firefighters? Those look like some serious scars. Strange. "
Izuku merely hums. He looks back at the building one more time. The sun's reflecting off the windows. Somewhere inside, perhaps Tomura's watering his place. Perhaps the burnt landlord his mopping up his muddy footsteps. Strange place, strange people.
Strange indeed.
_____________
SOMEONE NEW HAS moved into the apartment. It's not often that the building gains a new tenant. Most are deterred from just the sight of it, others from the people who call the place home. The last person to have moved in to the apartment would've been Jin Bubaigawara from apartment 3-D (one of the farthest from other tenants, mind you. It's not that he's not a friendly bloke, but his constant muttering tends to keep people up at night). That had been almost a year ago. He'd settled in quite nicely.
The other tenants loved the man (the apartment seemed to take a liking to him as well). He was a bit odd, but who in the apartment complex wasn't? Still, with the newly added addition of Jin, the others hadn't expected another newcomer so soon. Jin had come rather quickly after Tomura had. Typically, there was a five year gap between tenants.
Of course, some in the building decided that the arrival of this newcomer calls for celebration. A house-warming party is thrown - at the new arrivals, without hardly any warning or invitation.
Yes, Hitoshi Shinsou would be in for quite a surprise.
_____________
THE PURPLE-HAIRED male feels his eye begin to twitch. His new neighbors had just strolled into his apartment an hour ago. At least the woman who insisted that he call her 'Big Sis Magne' had forewarned him a good three hours before their arrival - plenty of time to clean up.
He'd hardly lived in this apartment for a week. It seemed he had just finished settling in and could now begin to call this place home. Still, it was fairly soon for such a party. His own friends hadn't even seen the place yet.
The others have been hanging around for about an hour now. At least Sako from apartment 2-A had been nice enough to bring a cake.
In his defense, it was a very good cake.
Hitoshi sits and watches the party goers from the comfort of his own couch, watching them chat with each other. He's never been one for social gatherings like this - especially when they had just dropped in uninvited. He feels drained already.
His eyes land on one of his new neighbors - Tomura Shigaraki. The man had been a bit quiet since his arrival. He'd only chatted with the others when prompted. Tomura caught him staring, red eyes examining his soul. Hitoshi feels his breath catch in his throat, eyes flashing purple for the quickest of seconds.
"So, Shinsou," Tomura begins, drawing the attention of the others, "you're awfully young to be living by yourself. What brings you here?"
Magne swats at his arm. "Shigaraki, be nice ."
All eyes are on Hitoshi now, expectantly awaiting an answer. He swallows another bite of cake before explaining, "... College student. 'M old enough now to not have to be in a room on campus. The rent here is cheap enough." The others murmur in agreement. "Plus, one of my mentors knows the landlord, I guess."
"You know someone who knows Mr. Ashtray?!"
Himiko Toga, the resident stray of the complex, eyes go wide. She doesn't actually own an apartment in the building, but she is around it enough to call it home. She had known Magne before the lady moved in, and from their, her friendship circle grew. You can typically see her spending the night with Magne, or on occasion, Jin.
She leans against the back of the chair Tomura's sitting on, her loose hairs tickling his forehead. Tomura apathetically swats them away. "No one ever knows him! He's so mysterious!"
"More like a total shut-in," Jin chimes in before shoving another bite of cake into his mouth.
The blonde girl rolls her eyes. "Yeah, that too. Anyways, you've seen him right? Real nasty burn scars?"
"Toga, we don't comment on other people's appearances-"
"But it's true!"
"Yeah, I've seen him," Hitoshi gives in. He waves his fork in the air as he talks. "Doesn't go out much, does he? I only ever see him in the morning. Must be an early riser… Where did he get those scars, after all? They're pretty bad."
Shuiichi Iguchi plops down on the couch next to Hitoshi. His hands move wildly as he talks, long nails slicing through the air. "We've got a few theories as to what could've happened… and maybe a betting pool too, but that's not the point. My guess was a house fire."
Jin nods, chiming in. " That burnt bitch never leaves the building. You've seen the scorch marks on the side of the building, right? Might've got stuck inside when it burned down one time."
Himiko shakes her head. "Nah, those marks look way too old. Besides, Dabi's scars aren't that fresh."
Hitoshi furrows his brows. "Well then, what do you think happened to him?"
"Sako thinks he used to be a firefighter," Magne says. "I wouldn't doubt it, though he does seem awfully young."
The mentioned man shrugs. "You can never be too sure, dear. I simply thought it was an accident on the field. He must've gotten hurt pretty badly for that extensive of scarring, though."
With that being said, the conversation drifts to other things. Still, Hitoshi can't help but notice how Tomura had stayed quiet during the chat about their burnt landlord. He'd simply sat there, a knowing look in his eyes. It made Hitoshi curious. When Tomura caught him staring, the white-haired male just sent him a sly smile.
Hitoshi frowns. Tomura must know something . There's something that he's not telling. His neighbor is certainly a mysterious fellow. There's something about his demeanor that just doesn't sit right with him.
Eventually, the house-warming party comes to an end. Everyone files out of the house. Tomura is the last to leave. When he shakes his hand, Tomura leans into his ear, small smile on his face.
"Just a warning," he murmurs, "don't get yourself into something you won't be able to understand… and tell Aizawa his favorite student says hi."
Before he exists the apartment, his eyes glow red, and Hitoshi freezes. He's left listening to Tomura's laughter echoing down the hallway.
_____________
ATSUHIRO SAKO IS a man who's late to bed but early to rise. He's lived in the apartment complex for years, his old bones seemingly able to sense the feelings of the building. He knows everything there is to know about the apartment. Well, almost everything.
He'd begun renting his apartment about fifteen years ago and was one of the first to move in (besides a few older elderly folks. They could be bribed to do anything with a cup of tea and a bit of company.). Back then, the landlord, Dabi, had been pretty young. So young, he'd almost second-guessed renting the place in the first place.
Still, the scarred man appeared to know what he was doing. Despite the buildings looks, Dabi ran on a strict scheduling, focusing on the upkeeping of the building. It made Atsuhiro wonder how long the property had been in his possession and how he even managed to acquire it in the first place.
That being said, Atsuhiro's been here for quite some time. He knows the building like the back of his hand. He knows everyone's schedule as well. For example, he knows Jin from 3-D is early to rise as well. He can be found on the fire escape at precisely five thirty-five each morning for a morning smoke. He knows Magne from 2-C starts her day off with a fresh cup of coffee each morning and watches the sun rise. He knows Shuiichi won't fall asleep until well after three in the morning, rising from his slumber after noon because he spent the night playing video games. Hell, he even knows Tomura - cryptic as the boy is - goes on a walk every Sunday at one. He knows the rhythm of the building.
But he's never been able to figure out the rhythm Dabi marches too.
The male gets up early - earlier than either himself or Jin - to tend to the building. The stairs are always swept, the flowers always watered, and the floors are always cleaned. Sometimes Dabi will share a smoke with Jin, occasionally one with Atsuhiro. From then until about six, he could be seen buzzing about the property, never in one place for too long. Yet, after six in the evening, he'd be spotted leaving, not retuning back until the dead of night. Atsuhiro hasn't been able to pinpoint where he goes. Maybe a second job? Still, he seems to be making good money from this lot alone.
Another mystery is the topic of his burn scars. After years of gossiping with the elder folks who used to live here (they've all passed on or moved, bless their hearts), he's come to the theory that he might've been a firefighter at one point. It's the only way he can think of the man acquiring all those burn scars. The staples seem to be an odd choice to patch himself up, though, and there certainly are a lot of scars to be caused by one job. It's just a theory, however (one that he'll die on, for God's sake, he's winning that betting pool-).
Even after years of living with the mysterious being known as Dabi, he's been able to get closer to him than the rest of the tenants (Tomura's another story for another time). The boy had even taken up stopping by his apartment every now and then for a chat. He still remembers that clumsy boy from years ago, back when he first moved in. The one who'd gotten his foot stuck in a bucket of dirty mop water and had acquired Atsuhiro' assistance to remove it.
Dabi may just be a boy, but he's growing into a fine young man, if Atsuhiro has anything to say about it. Maybe some of the mysterious surrounding Dabi are just best being left untold.
So Atsuhiro says nothing as he watches Dabi enter Tomura's apartment late one evening, well past any reasonable hour. He watches as Tomura opens the door and his sleepy face morphs into one of concern. He watches as Dabi leans on Tomura for support, hobbling further into the apartment.
And if Atsuhiro sees a small kiss being pressed against Dabi's forehead… well, he says nothing.
It's none of his concern, after all.